Hi all,

After a long but enjoyable work week we were ready for our first real taste of beach life here in central Vietnam. On our way to our weekend resort we drove through a scenic hillscape dotted with rural villages and hamlets, well off the beaten path, and enjoyed some exotic fruits at a waterfall known throughout Quang Ngai province.

From there we made our way to the coast, checked into our seaside hotel, and spent the rest of the afternoon lounging on the white sand beach, wading in the warm, tropical tides, and swimming in our luxurious pool.

This region of Vietnam was heavily impacted by the war, and though its landscape has recovered, its people remember. We spent the entire day Sunday visiting historic war sights and important memorials. We began the day at Thien An Temple, a hilltop pagoda used as an American lookout during the war. From there we made our way to the My Lai Massacre Memorial, which commemorates one of the worst massacres that transpired, and we were all very moved, some of us to the point of tears, by the atrocities of war. We also stopped off at a set of surviving underground tunnels used as bomb shelters, homes, and schools. We walked through these cramped but impressive feats of engineering and got just a small taste of what life in the dark might have been like.

After a long and memorable weekend filled with great food, awe-inspiring war stories, and first class beach-bumming, we went back to our village to prepare for another week amongst our local friends building relationships and constructing houses.

Hen gap Lai! (See you later!)

– Ryan & Vi